PAST performance speaks strongly in favour of Voice Mail (3.15) for today's big race at Beverley, the Nick Wilmot-Smith Memorial Handicap.

Andrew Balding's representative has the winning habit, scoring four times at Bath as well failing by only a half-length to overhaul Song Of Vala in a £30,000 Brighton event just six days ago.

Voice Mail still picked up the neck-end of eight grand for that superb effort at the south-coast track. If reproduced this afternoon it would surely be sufficient to go one better in what looks on paper a slightly weaker affair.

After looking as though he was going nowhere at Carlisle, Cryfield conjured up a whirlwind finish and propelled himself into third spot with a burst of Formula One-type acceleration.

Nigel Tinkler's near veteran is admittedly a bit of monkey but if his inexperienced jockey can bustle the old boy up with a little more vigour, Cryfield has the ability to leave his rivals standing in the East Riding Amateur Handicap.

Punters unfortunate enough to have sided with Blazing Bailey at Salisbury get a welcome opportunity to recoup their hard-earned cash when the three-year-old visits Sandown for the betfredpoker.com Handicap. Blundering jockey Nicky Mackay appeared injudicious in giving Blazing Bailey an unnecessary breather a half-mile home, which meant he couldn't get going again in time to stave off the late challenge of Mersey Sound.

Hayley Turner, who has a good deal more in the thinking department than many of her male weighing-room colleagues, now takes over on the Stuart Williams-trained stayer, a live challenger for the mile-and-three-quarter test of stamina.

Armagnac (3.25) bids to repeat his seven-furlong 2004 track-and-trip success.

Trainer Mark Buckley has brought Armagnac's handicap rating back down to a feasible weight by running his gelding over six furlongs, a distance palpably too short for the seven-year-old these days.

Buckley's inmate needs to be held up and produced in the final couple of hundred yards, a tactic which should present no problems to the ice-cool Steve Drowne, who is well versed in playing the ultimate waiting game.

Steel Blue had no chance last time out, basically because he was racing on the far side at Ripon, where the ground was patently slower than against the favoured stands' rail.

Fortunately there's no such bias in existence at Haydock, which means this time around the selection will be competing on a level playing field.

It's also encouraging to note that Richard Whitaker's horses are on a tidy roll at present, adding up to another solid reason to support Steel Blue (7.00) in the six-furlong sprint.

* Ante-post favourite Texas Gold will take his chance in Saturday's William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon after being confirmed as an intended starter by trainer Willie Muir.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.